Improvement in stuffing-boxes for steam-engines



, T.`H.H0PK1NS. StuffingfBo'Xes for Steam-Engines.'

No. 196,978. Patented Nov. 13,1877.

Qmusms v STATES PATEN TCW-1ct.;

TAYLOR II.; HOPKINS, fon PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT lfN sTyuF-FING-BOXES FoRsTaAm-ENelNEs.

. 4Specification forming partofLetters Patent No. 196,978, datedNovemb'er 13, 1877 application filed `February 14, 1877.

To all whom t may concern:

'Be it known that I, TAYLOR H. HOPKINS, of the city of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stuiing-B oxes for Piston-Rods, which improvement is fully setforth in the following specication and accompanying drawing.

`The object of my invention is a stuffing-box which is self-adjusting to any irregular movementof the piston or piston-rod, and to preserve the packing from irregular wear.

In the drawing, Figure lis a horizontal longitudinal section of the invention, all the parts being in proper position. Fig. 2 is a plan of i the large ring or ilange. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a ring of metallic packing. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 6 is a face view of the intermediate gland. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the same. l

A is a cylinder-head, on which is seated a thick circular plate or block, A', the joint between them being a ground joint. Said block is about twice the diameter of the pist0n-rod B, which passes freely through a hole in the center. The front or outer face of block A is dished77 or concave, in which is seated (the joint being ground) the convex bottom D of the cylindrical-shaped box C, said box being externally about one-fourth less in diameter than the block A. It is provided with a screw-thread cut around its outer A end, on which screws the cap C', said cap being made as is usual. The internal diameter of box C is about one-third more than the piston-rod B. Its bottom D is concave and so perforated that the piston-rod will just pass through. Externally the bottom D projects beyond the sides of the box, on the same line of circle as the concavity of block A', suficient to form a strong iiange, as shown by d, Fig. 1, its outer face being correspondingly concave. E is a strong ring, a little less in diameter than the cylinder-head A. It "passes loosely over and around box C, and is provided with an annular projection around the hole in its center, on the side toward the cylinder-head, which iits into the hollow in the front of flange d, their contact or bearing faces being smooth-finished so that they may easily slide on each other.

Flange or ring E is attached to the cylinderhead by three or more bolts, F, having ball G and G are pairs of Imetallic packing-rings,

each pair tting on the piston-rod, and of a convex shape front and back, the first, G, ttin g into the concave bottom D by its rear convexity, and covered inA front by an intermediate gland, H, which is correspondingly concave on both surfaces, the front of which receives the rear convexity of packing G. H is a gland, which is immediately in frontof packing G', on which it bears by its rear surface, which isl concave, the front being plain, so that the cap C may have a proper bearing on it when screwed on box G.

It will be understood that the size, of the glands and packing-rin gs are made with reference to the internal diameter and depth of box C and the diameter of the piston-rod, both of which they should t; also, that the glands H and H are some slight distance apart at their points.

Operation The various parts being all properly adjusted to each other, as shown in Fig.

1, the cap C is screwed down on box C, forcing the glands and packing-rings together. The concave faces of the glands, bearing on the convex surfaces of the packing, force it on the piston-rod. Should the piston-rod from any cause work out of line, the box will adjust itself to such irregular movement by Inov- .ing in theblock A" and ring E on the bolts F F, the block A' also moving on the cylinderversed; also, that theannular projection dcscribed as formed around the hole in ring E may be made as a separate ring, all of which I claim as mechanical equivalents; also, I desire to say that my invention is applied to en gines or other machines in present use by bolting a plate similar to that described as the cylinder-head A to the cylinder-head.

Having thus described my invention and .its operation, what I claim, and desire Letters Patent for, is-

l. In combination with a piston-rod, the box C, provided With the iiange d and bottom D, seated on the block A', all constructed and operating in manner as described, for the object set forth.

TAYLOR H. HOPKINS.

- Witnesses:

.Wim M. CUTHBERT, H. R. FOSTER. 

